This chapter is from the book

Choosing the Right Video IED for You

You've decided to take the plunge into intelligent TV entertainment. Now
you face the real dilemma: Which video Interactive Entertainment Device (IED) do you buy? It's a much
different proposition from choosing a VCR, television, or most other home
appliances for these reasons:

With conventional appliances, versions have been around for decades, and
dozens of brands and models are available from which to choose. Choice is
often based on a combination of price, features, and brand name. In contrast,
video IEDs are essentially first-generation devices. There are few models
to choose from, relatively little differentiation in terms of features or
price, and the brand names are mostly unfamiliar. Even Microsoft, a mighty
name in the software business, currently has no brand equity to speak of
in the consumer electronics field.

In the case of video IEDs, consumers are as much choosing a service as
they are a product. After a few short years, the monthly subscription fees
will have eclipsed the cost of the hardware. (TiVo, which offers a "lifetime"
subscription for $249, is the exception.) Like locking into a long-term
contract with a mobile phone provider, you must weigh not only the attributes
of the physical device, but your confidence that the company offers the
best service for your needs, with adequate staying power for the long haul.

Whom do you trust? Another consideration in choosing an IED is the level
of comfort you have with the service provider's ability to protect
your privacy. The dark side of the video IED's personalization features
is the voluminous dossier that the company will be quietly compiling on
your TV-related tastes and activities. Consumer groups are gradually raising
the level of alarm over these companies' practice of recording your
every move, and they're asking for accountability as to how that data
is used, stored, and perhaps sold to other companies that want to market
products to you based on your viewing habits. The trade-off here is that
collecting this information canat least theoreticallyallow IED
service providers to tailor programming to your individual taste. However,
the user has to decide whether he trusts the company to keep his private
data secure from prying eyes, while using it only in responsible and nonintrusive
ways.

Unlike a toaster or waffle iron, a video IED is a "lifestyle device."
A device qualifies for lifestyle status when it creates a significant impact
on your daily routine. A generation ago, washing machines were a lifestyle
device, freeing millions of women from hours of tedious manual labor. Today,
people buy new washing machines simply as replacements for older washing
machines, so the net impact on lifestyle is nil. Mobile phones, on the other
hand, still have that lifestyle-changing impact, providing the ability to
transact business and social obligations from anywhere and at any time.

The other qualifier for a device to achieve lifestyle status is its cost.
A toaster can be had for about $15, representing a marginal opportunity cost
because few other things of consequence are available for $15. A video IED,
however, represents a significant spending opportunity. By spending money
on the new device, you are effectively limiting your freedom in other areas,
thus impacting your lifestyle. Lifestyle choices generally are not made lightlythey
often require research and a good deal of sober reflection.

Now that you fully realize what you're getting into, how do you choose
between ReplayTV, UltimateTV, and TiVo? The following sections look closely at
each device so that you can see how they stack up. If none of these devices seem
to exactly suit your needs, perhaps you're a candidate for one of the video
IED alternatives that will be discussed in Chapter 4, "Playing the Field:
Other Video IED Convergence Devices."